Brooks
by werewolves779
Summary: Whule Dark Ranger is in Blackwater city, Mathew Brooks is in Jacksonville. This is his story of how he was an experiment & learned to control the elements Read dark ranger first to get references & cameos. .
1. Chapter 1

Brooks

Chapter 1: escape

-Project Diablo Labs (Top Secret Government testing facility)

"Sarah, how is test subject A-117 reacting to the Rex Serum?" Doctor Musgrove, head of the Diablo project, asked as he rubbed his graying beard.

"His body is fighting it off too fast. Before long he will more than likely build up a tolerance at this rate." she replied. Musgrove gritted his teeth in frustration.

"This our last chance to bond the Rex Serum to a human test subject. All previous attempts have ended in the subject dying after injection. We can't allow our last hope to build a tolerance to Rex. If Project Diablo fails, my career is over. Sarah, double A-117's dosage of Rex. If he can fight off the normal dosage, lets see how he fairs against twice the dosage."

Sarah gasped at this new order. "But sir, that amount of Rex will surely kill him without a doubt. We can't allow that."

"Sarah my career is over if he doesn't bond with the Rex Serum either way. His survival means nothing to me. Just do what i said. Double his dosage." Dr. Musgrove demanded.

"Yes sir." she went into the room where A-117 was sedated & strapped down on a metal lab table followed by three other scientists. One of them was carrying a silver briefcase & set it beside A-117 on a small table the other two scientists had rolled in to the room. The briefcase was unlocked and opened to reveal glass vials of a green glowing substance: Rex Serum.

Carefully grabbing one of the vials, he grabbed a needle from the small table & injected the double dosage into A-117's bloodstream. Within seconds a reaction was met. The test subject began violently shaking and foaming out the mouth.

"Shit! He's seizing! Grab an Epipen shot! We need him to calm down." Sarah ordered. One of the scientists quickly grabbed an Epipen and injected it into the test subject. A-117 calmed down & returned to his natural sedated state a few moments later. Sarah took a deep breath as the event was over. "Thank you."

A-117 opened his eyes & ripped out of the straps that had constrained him & grabbed one of the scientists by the throat effortlessly throwing him into the wall breaking his neck & making short work of the others. Only Sarah was alive. The test subject looked at her with his now Orange eyes that were normally blue. Before he could kill her, he collapsed back down on the test table unconscious.

Sarah's heart raced as she looked at the three dead bodies on the floor and the now unconscious test subject. She activated the emergency restraints that clamped him back down onto the table.

Musgrove witness the entire scene from the other side of the window. Surprisingly he was not mad. Instead he was overjoyed. The Rex Serum had successfully bonded to the test subject on a cellular level. Sure three scientists were dead but this was good news for Musgrove. This meant he would be infamously known as the man who created a superhuman.

Sarah returned to Musgrove. "I hope you're happy." she said as she walked off.

Musgrove smirked. "I am." he thought to himself.

-a few hours later during the night-

Sarah walked into the room just outside where A-117 was being held & looked through the glass. He was asleep. She swiped her ID card on the lock & opened the door. She cautiously walked up to the test subject while carrying a black suitcase in her hand.

He looked peaceful in his sleep & Sarah hesitated to wake him up."Hurry & get up. We don't have time for sleep right now." she said as she set the suitcase down. A-117 woke up still groggy & confused. "What's going on?"

"I'm here get you out." she said as she unlatched the braces that held him to the table. "Just try not to kill me. I'm kind of necessary here."

He moved his joints & stretched before standing up. "I don't understand. Why are you doing this?" he asked.

"Because I'm tired of watching Musgrove kill innocent people like you for his crazy ideas. I won't allow it to happen again."

"You wouldn't happen to know my name would you? Can't seem to remember anything really before all this started."

"Your name is Mathew Brooks. Age 19. Hometown Jacksonville. Seems one of the side effects of the test procedures affected your hippocampus." she said interestingly.

Brooks looked confused. "The hippo what?"

"Its a part of the brain that processes memory." she annoyingly replied with a simplified explanation.

"I see. What's this for?" he asked as he went to tap the suitcase with his foot.

"Woah. No no. Don't do that." she said worryingly. "That's Rex serum. If you aren't careful with it it could potentially kill us all before we even leave. And it's important here too. Without it, you'll die. Since I know the process to create it, without me you'll die. Do you understand?" Sarah rhetorically asked as they headed out the door. "We're on the 8th floor. We have to go down to Floor 1 & get out without anyone noticing us."

"Right. No worries, babe." Brooks said as he followed closely behind her.

"Don't call me that ever again." Sarah called an elevator down & the two quickly got inside & began going down to the 1st floor of the building.

"So your name is?" Brooks asked. She was so worried about getting Brooks out that she had forgotten to introduce herself.

"I'm Sarah Carter. Former employee of D.I.A.B.L.O. Labs incorporated. And I'm your new savior."

"All right then. I'm Brooks apparently." He introduced himself awkwardly. The elevator chimed & the doors slowly crept open.

"We just have to get through these hallways & out the door without any of the night guards spotting us." Sarah explained.

The two headed down the hallway, suitcase in hand making sure the guards didn't spot them. There were quite a few a guards at night but not many scientists that were mainly only there if someone happened to attacked or tried to escape the facility.

"Hold up." Sarah said stopping just before turning the corner. "Two guards up ahead. Wait for them to pass."

"Hey, you ever wonder why we're here?" one of the guards asked the other.

"Why do you have to ask that every single time that we have patrol duty, Gus?" he asked sighing.

"Whatever. It's funny & you know it." Gus told the other guard as they continued down the hallway & conveniently turned down the opposite hall that Sarah & Brooks needed to head through.

The two quickly headed down the halls before the guards came back through. Suddenly, Brooks began feeling dizzy & his head felt like it was being beaten in with a boulder. He dropped to his knees grasping his head & trying his best to hold in his painful screams. Sarah put the suitcase down & went to check on him. "If you aren't quiet the guards will come damn it. Shut up before you kill us both."

"I can't help it... It hurts so bad. My head is pounding & i can't feel my limbs. What's going on?!" he asked her in between painful cries.

"I- i'm not sure. This is the first I've seen you have these side effects. Are you okay? Can you still walk?" she asked as she checked to make sure no one was around. "We're almost there. Just a couple more turns & we should be home free."

"Sarah. I don't know what's going to happen next but if it's anything like what I'm seeing in my head right now, then you may want to get away from me before it starts." Brooks managed to tell her.

"What? What are you talking about? What's in your head, Mathew? Sarah asked.

"I SAID GET AWAY!" Brooks angrily shouted. His voice had gotten deeper & had started sounding demonic & inhuman. Sarah quickly went back around the corner they'd just come from to get away from whatever was happening to Brooks.

His eyes had turned blood red & suddenly he emitted an evil laugh that would send chills down even an insane serial killer's back. "Killing is all that can quench my thirst for blood. Bring on the massacre." He said with an evil grin as a sudden burst of flames engulfed his body that burnt a footprint into the floor with each step he took.

Brooks walked into the main plaza area of the floor just before the exit of the building & the guards all began shooting at him with their automatic rifles. The bullets all bounced off his body as he continued walking & grabbed the head of one of the guards. The guard shrieked in pain as his face and skull slowly melted.

"Burn to nothing." Brooks said maniacally as the man was engulfed in flames & fell to the floor in a pile of ashes.

The others were all terrified of this demonic beast that had somehow been set loose among them. They all tried their best to shoot him dead to no avail. Brooks melted them all to ash within minutes. The smell of freshly baked human engulfed the air & made Brooks smile at the carnage he had committed.

"Hmm.. I think a little more death will suit this place well." he told himself.

Sarah watched in a wild mixture of shock, awe, & fright as Brooks killed everyone with no hesitation. "Mathew! Calm down before you blow the place up!" she yelled to him realizing what was going on.

Something changed hearing her voice & Brooks' consciousness returned to normal for a short few seconds.

"Sarah!" he yelled as he turned back to her. "Get out of here before i blow you up with this place! Please! Hurry!" Brooks urged as he lost control again.

Sarah quickly grabbed the suitcase & dashed out the building before Brooks exploded. She turned back to see the entire building incinerate & be destroyed by the explosion caused by Brooks.

Musgrove had been inside the building when it was destroyed so he was dead & Brooks had managed to kill hundreds of innocent & not so innocent people within a few minutes.

With the amount of blood spilt, Brooks craving had been satisfied & he returned to his normal self. His clothes had burnt off & he was now left bare in the scene of the explosion. He walked up to Sarah who tried her best to ignore it & handed him a set of clothes she'd grabbed from one of the lockers. Brooks got dressed & the two quickly left the scene to head out for Jacksonville.

"What did i just do? I killed so many people. I was on fire!" he exclaimed.

"That is what we call "Bloodlust". Without a steady dosage of Rex, you will go into this uncontrollable mode until you have killed enough souls to soothe your greed for death. Its an extremely powerful form that we have only seen a few times before. But you shouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary." she replied as she injected a vial of Rex into Brooks' bloodstream.

"Why? It seems useful if I'm fighting gods or an army."

"It puts a massive strain on your body. Each time you use it, you will be speeding up the day your death arrives. Luckily I'm around to keep you on a steady dose so that it doesn't happen again." she explained as she grabbed the suitcase & continued to walk to her car. She out the suitcase inside the trunk. "Get in. I'm taking you home." she said as she cranked the car up & Brooks got in with her.


	2. Chapter 2

Brooks

Chapter 2: Assassin from Hell

-3 weeks after escaping-

Brooks & Sarah made it safely to Jacksonville with no trouble. They had rented a home in the city & other than Brooks having to constantly take Rex serum every few hours, it was a normal life. The two were enjoying it & Brooks had remembered a few things from his past like his parents, & a few friends he had had as a child.

A.N. (Id like to make it clear now that Jacksonville is a city over from Blackwater similarly to how Metropolis is close to Gotham. Also that at the time of this chapter, its about a monthish before chapter 13 of Dark Ranger.

Brooks & Sarah were eating ham sandwiches in the dining room. "How do you feel, Mathew?"

"Fine. I think im getting used to the doses." Brooks said as he rubbed the swollen area he'd injected a dosage of Rex into a few minutes ago. "I just wish i could be normal again. Or get a job so i can help pay the rent here." He said disappointingly.

"Don't worry about it, Mathew. You'll learn to control your powers better soon enough." Sarah encouraged with a warm smile.

Brooks looked over towards the wall at a handprint that had been burnt into it. "Yeah. I guess."

"Just give it some time. Its only been a few weeks." Sarah told him.

"Yeah." he replied. "I think I'm going to sleep. I don't feel too good right now."

"Not even going to finish your food?"

"Not hungry." he said as he headed for his bedroom.

-12 miles away underground crime ring-

"Please sir, I just want to go see my family." a man pleaded as he cried at the knees of another.

The other man scoffed. "You're annoying. You chose the life of a criminal; now pay the price."

"But I'm only asking this once." he pleaded more.

"Shut up already." he told the crying man as he held a gun to the man's head. The man didn't stop sobbing. Seconds later a gunshot echoed throughout the underground & the man stop crying and was kicked into a pit where a lion named Passion sat in wait for her next feast.

Everyone stopped what they were doing to witness the events & T. Rex (he is a person.) looked down on them as he put his pistol away. "What are you looking at? The drugs won't traffic themselves. Get to work." he ordered. The workers immediately obeyed their leader & continued their jobs without hesitation.

Suddenly, a figure stealthily appeared at T. Rex's 'throne'. "Who are you?" he asked the person dressed in light full body black military grade armor with a pistol on his side & two swords on his back.

"I'm 'Zero'. I've heard you were able to get info on anyone?" Zero asked. (The voice Zero has i like to imagine similar to Tex's voice before her voice modulator broke in Red vs. Blue)

"That's true. If i have reason anyway. What are you doing here?"

"I'm an assassin. I have been hired to target someone in this city. If you help me, ill share my reward after the deed is done." Zero explained.

"And how much exactly will i be getting?" T. Rex asked interested in Zero's offer.

"I'll give you $25,000 if you give me reliable information."

T. Rex smirked. "interesting. Who exactly are you targeting?"

"His name is Mathew Brooks. He is located somewhere within Jacksonville."

"Consider it done. I'll have it soon." T. Rex told Zero.

"Meet me at the docks in 5 hours with his location or you won't get the money. Don't be late." Zero told him before leaving.

-5 hours later (2 a.m.)-

T. Rex looked out at the ocean glistening in the moonlight. He enjoyed the view & the crisp fresh air that the docks always seemed to have.

"Do you have the info?" Zero suddenly asked catching T. Rex off guard.

"Indeed. Could you stop sneaking around though? It's creepy." T. Rex said.

"Just give me the news before i add a target to my hit list."

"Tch, little brat. Mathew Brooks is a young man that lives at 1738 Hilltop Drive. It's actually about twelve or so miles from here." T. Rex replied.

"Hm. If this is reliable, i'll have your money in two days from now. Meet me here then at the same time. Don't be late." Zero told the drug trafficker.

"Why do you have such a hard on for time?" T. Rex asked annoyingly with no response. He turned around & Zero had already disappeared. He rolled his eyes and continued to take in the scene of the ocean before he himself left the docks relieved from his stress. The ocean breeze always seemed to do so.

Authors note: I WON'T REVEAL THE DRUGS HE IS TRAFFICKING FOR A FEW MORE CHAPTERS THOUGH. TAKE A GUESS IF YOU WANT.


	3. Chapter 3

Brooks

Chapter 3: YouTube Hero

Within Brooks' room he had set up a camera on a tripod that stood in the corner of his room beside his dresser that was on the opposite side from his queen-size bed. The walls were painted with a beige color like desert sand.

Brooks had decided not to apply for a job in fear his newfound powers would accidentally activate & cause turmoil. He needed to learn to control his powers first. Brooks chose an interesting way of doing so. He had taken up creating YouTube videos. He named his channel "Visual Illusions". He would record himself using his powers & people believed he was very skilled at using video editors & photoshop instead of actually being made of fire or any of his other elemental abilities.

It was the perfect excuse for his powers & this made it much easier to explain them along with helping him to control them at the same time. His channel was an instant success and quickly grew. He used the money he earned there to pay his bills and live with.

"Hello everyone. Today i will be creating a visual effect combining fire and water to create steam. Then ill use the air to shape it into objects." Brooks said to the camera as he was being recorded.

He snapped his fingers and his hand turned to flames. He then combined it with water from his other hand which created the steam that he had spoken of. Then using his ability of air, he shaped the steam into trains, stars, dragons & even a rocket that blasted off to the moon.

Suddenly, the steam disappeared and everything was back to normal. Brooks smiled & continued to talk. "I hope that you enjoyed the effects i created today & stay tuned for more. See you next time."

Brooks ended the recording and uploaded the video, not knowing Zero was on his way to his house now.

"I'm glad to see you putting your powers to good use Mathew. Not everyone that has powers has to become some crazy hero of the city they live in." Sarah said as she walked into the doorway.

"Im only doing this to cope with my powers. I think that if i can at least entertain someone without them thinking of me as a monster then its okay to be this way. Too bad I have to lie of how i do it to the audience." Brooks told her as closed the YouTube tab on his desktop.

"That's great! I hope you can learn to control them & maybe someday feel a little more human than you do now." Sarah said with a smile.

"Yeah... Thank you for being so supportive of me. It means a lot to me. Without you here i would've still been a test subject to Musgrove or attempted to kill myself by now." Brooks stood up & made his way to the living room to find something on TV.

Sarah wasn't sure what to do with him. Nothing seemed to make him any happier except his YouTube channel & even that was only for a brief few minutes each day. No matter what Sarah did, Brooks still ended up depressed. It hurt to see him so sad every day. "Maybe one day he will happier" she thought to herself.

-outside atop the opposite building across the street-

"Hmm. Seems there is another... No matter. I'll take her out as well & ask for an extra payment." Zero said to himself as he looked with his binoculars through the windows at Sarah.

Zero quickly made his way down to the ground & happened to stumble across a middle-aged homeless man. At first Zero was alarmed but quickly realized the man was asleep next to a cup that had a few cents in it. Zero wasn't quite sure of what to do. He could easily kill the man or leave him be.

He decided to help the man instead, leaving behind $1,000 in the man's inner shirt pocket. Zero quickly disappeared before being caught & continued his mission.

(A.N. although Zero is an assassin, he does have a heart & does feel bad for the more unfortunate. This was to show that even a killer can have a soft side to them & to give Zero a more normal & human side that to me makes the character more interesting in my opinion.)

Zero made his way into Brooks' home through an open window inside Sarah's room that was beside Brooks'. Sarah was showering & Brooks was still watching TV.

Zero silently made his way down the hall passed the bathroom where Sarah was showering & just outside the living room. He grabbed one of his CZ75's & quickly turned the corner ready to shoot. Brooks wasn't there & Zero lowered his gun to continue his search for his target before killing the other woman he spotted earlier that T. Rex had mentioned. "Where the hell is he?" he thought to himself.

Zero made his way into the kitchen only to not find his target. "Looks like i should search the rooms then."

"Who the hell are you?" Brooks asked the armored assassin. Zero turned around immediately and aimed his gun at Brooks' head.

"Are you Mathew?" he asked as he cautiously stood there waiting for a response. His finger was itching to pull the trigger.

"That's me. Now who the hell are you?"

"I was hired to kill you. Now perish." Zero said as he pulled the trigger. Brooks used his ability to turn himself to air and create wind to allow the bullet to pass through him & lodge itself into the wall. Sarah screamed and she had quickly gotten out and dressed & came to see what was going on.

Zero was caught off guard. He hadn't been told anything about elemental abilities. He thought his target was a normal person. "What the hell are you?!"

"Yknow, i wish i could tell you." Brooks replied.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked worried.

"Get out of here!" Brooks yelled at her as he followed Zero outside to confront him again.


	4. Chapter 4

Brooks

Chapter 4: Fighting the Assassin from Hell

"Get out of my house!" he told the assassin as he swung his flaming fist towards him. Zero dodged it & unsheathed both of his swords.

"Die." he told Brooks as he sliced through the air at him. Zero quickly sliced at Brooks who dodged it & filled the room with steam like he had done earlier. "Don't play games with me. You can run all you want, but i always kill my prey." Zero called out as he slowly began walking through the steam searching for Brooks.

Brooks stayed quiet as he waited for an opening to strike the assassin.

Suddenly a flame glistened through the steam creating a spectacular visual image :-$ :-$ ~~~ :-$ :-$ :-( :-( :-$ :-$ :-$ :-( ~:-$ :-) :-$ :-) :-$ :-$ :-) :-( :-( :-$ :-) :-) :-$ :-$ :-) :-) :-$ :-) :-( :-) :-) :-) :-( :-) :-( :-) :-) :-$ :-) :-) :-) :-) :-$ :-$ :-$ :-) :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-( :-$ :-( :-$ :-( :-( :-$ :-) :-( :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-$ :-( :-( :-( :-$ :-( :-( :-( :-) :-( :-$ :-$ :-( :-( :-( :-( :-( :-$ :-( +× × × ××××× × × ×× ×× +× ×××× a as v3j as Brooks' arm lunged at Zero hitting him in the side of his helmet. Zero stumbled backwards as he swung one of his swords in an attempt to strike his target only to miss once again. "Stop being a pussy & come out to play!" Zero yelled angrily.

Brooks lunged at Zero again & hit his helmet this time with the power of earth, crushing the helmet & part of it fell to the ground. As Zero staggered backwards Brooks landed another hit followed by another and another until Zero's helmet had nearly shattered into pieces & blood had painted Brooks' knuckles & broken fragments of the helmet laid scattered on the floor. Only a few pieces had stayed on just enough to cover Zero's eyes.

Zero was furious & violently swung his swords at Brooks. "You damn brat! I'll kill you!" Zero roared as he continued to swing his swords. Brooks grabbed one of the blades of Zero's swords and it quickly began to turn red like a cherry. The blade began to deform as it was overheated from Brooks' hand & was bent in half. The other sword was shattered with a loud cracking noise as Brooks' other hand turned to metal and broke it into tiny fragments.

Zero leapt back & pulled out his pistol. He had began to run out of options at this point. He quickly made a decision of whether to stay & fight or to escape while he still had the chance. "Damn." Zero jumped through a window onto the ground in an alleyway & began to parkour onto the roofs of the nearby homes and businesses to flee.

Brooks had followed after him & hadn't stop to realize he shouldn't let anyone see his powers. He was lost in the moment. Brooks sprinted and jumped from rooftop to rooftop after the assassin, catching up to him easily since Zero was already wounded & becoming exhausted.

Brooks tackled Zero and the rolled off of the roof of a restaurant onto the street below. Zero gritted his teeth & head-butted Brooks who was holding him down. Brooks was dazed and shook his head to regain focus as his head pounded in pain. Zero took the chance to to take advantage & began to punch Brooks in the face. Brooks turned to rock to protect himself & then burnt Zero with a heat blast that broke the rest of his helmet off revealing his entire head and face.

"You'll pay for that! Wait. What!? No! My voice modulator!" Zero quickly realized that the voice modulator had been destroyed when the helmet was shattered and broken.

This would've been the perfect time to hit Zero, but Brooks was too astonished to know how to react. He only exclaimed "Wait. You're a girl?! I thought you were a guy!" And in fact Zero was secretly indeed a girl; a fairly attractive brunette to be exact. Her eyes were a beautiful blue that you could lose yourself in.

She hesitated & then punched Brooks again before fleeing, leaving Brooks unconscious in front of the gathering crowd that'd witnessed the last bit if the fight & saw his incredible ability to harness the elements at his will.

No one spoke a word as they had no real idea how to respond. Was he a danger to society? A hero? No one knew for sure.

-a few hours later-

Brooks awoke inside the hospital on a bed hooked up to many fancy machines & gadgets. He looked around groggily trying to figure out where he was as a doctor dressed in white walked by. Once Brooks caught a glimpse of the man, he began to panic & have violent flashbacks to the experiments Dr. Musgrove had forced on him.

The doctor rushed over & called for someone to come over to help. Brooks shook violently in the bed but before anyone else could come in, he had stopped and returned to normal. The doctor was relieved & made sure Brooks was back to normal again before exiting the room.

"What happened?" brooks thought to himself as he looked around realizing he was in a hospital. "Where's Sarah?" he asked as he stood up in the bed only to pull the machines hooked to him along with him & sharp pains pierced his entire body. He got out of bed & his legs shook making it hard for him to walk. He made his way to the doorway and leaned against it as he looked out into the hallway looking for Sarah.

He hobbled over to a help desk with a young woman & asked her if anyone had come to see him earlier.

"A woman did about an hour ago but left shortly after." the woman answered. Brooks was relieved to hear that. "Sir, you shouldn't be out of your room." she continued as she got up & helped him back to his bed.

A.N. next chapter Brooks will be in hospital a little while longer before leaving & trying to track down Zero & reunite with Sarah. A new enemy might appear as well.


	5. Chapter 5

Brooks

Chapter 5: Repercussions

Not long after Brooks found out Sarah had visited him earlier, three men dressed in black with sunglasses & earpieces arrived to Brooks room. They were clearly FBI agents.

"You're Mathew Brooks, correct?" one of them asked.

Brooks looked at the men & confusingly answered. "Yeah?"

The three men looked at each other & then back to young Brooks. The same man spoke again. "It has come to our attention that you may have some type of hidden abilities that could potentially put innocent civilians in danger. Is this true?" he asked. Even with the glasses covering his eyes, Brooks could feel the man's piercing gaze that sent chills down his spine.

"Uh, I don't think so." Brooks replied jokingly. "That sounds cool though."

"Take him in." the man ordered. The other two quickly grabbed hold of him & forcibly escorted him out into a black sedan & sped off.

"What the hell is going on?" Brooks asked angrily. "Where are you taking me?"

"Son, you aren't human anymore. You're a danger to society. We can't have you out in public all willy nilly." one of the other men replied. He had a southern accent. (Like Michael Rooker.)

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a teenager." Brooks told the men.

The third man who was black & had the deepest voice of the three agents spoke up & handed Brooks a collection of photos of Brooks during the fight with Zero that they got from social media & surveillance cameras. "You sure about that?" he asked.

Brooks knew he couldn't deny it now & sighed. "I didn't ask for this yknow."

"Who would? No one wants to be a freak of nature." the original man said as he drove. Brooks hated that but didn't have time to respond before he began to get light headed & an intense migraine imbedded itself into his brain that made him scrunch over in the seat, cupping his head & yelling in pain.

The car stopped in the middle of the road & horns blew as people drove around them. "What the hell's wrong with you?" the southerner asked.

"Please. You have to listen to me. If you don't get me home soon I'm going to lose control." Brooks told them.

"What?" the first man asked.

"Get me home before i kill you all!" he yelled. "I don't have much time. Just go!"

"Where's it at?" one of them asked. They didn't believe him but they didn't want to the chance either. After telling them his address the car sped off for his house. Brooks did his best to fight off his withdrawal while they drove.

-8 minutes later: Brooks' home-

The car screeched to a halt at the door to his house & Brooks was escorted by all three of them inside & watched very carefully. Brooks quickly found the case of Rex serum & injected a dose into his arm as usual. He took a deep breath as the drug soothed his pain & returned him to normal.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" the black man asked.

"I can't explain it really. It's something even I don't know much about."

"We still have to take you in." the southerner reminded. Brooks looked up at the three large men & shook his head in disagreement.

"I can't go with you. If i don't keep this in my system, I'll kill everyone around me." Brooks told them.

"This is an order from the government. You have no choice." the black man told him.

"I'm not going with you. I can't." Brooks replied as he stood up.

"Either come with us or we have no choice to rule you as hostile & kill you." the driver told him.

Brooks wasn't going with them & didn't want to harm them either. He didn't know what to do. "You wouldn't be able to kill me anyway. I'm stronger & faster than i seem."

The black guy grabbed his pistol but Brooks crushed his hand in his own made of rock before kicking the other two to the ground in one swoop from his leg he had turned to rock. The southerner tried to attack but Brooks punched him into the floor knocking him unconscious & then doing the same with the other two agents. Brooks didn't want to kill them & was relieved he hadn't had to. He took all of their belongings & burned them & then dropped them all off at the hospital they'd abducted him from. He slit all the tires and cut the gas line before getting Sarah to pick him up.

"I'm glad you're okay, Mathew." she said as she drove them home. Brooks was paranoid that the agents knew his address & didn't hear her. "Hello? Are you there?"

"Oh. Sorry. Long day." he replied as he looked out the window.

"Well, i just got out of the grocery store before coming to get you. Sorry if I took a bit to get you." Sarah said.

"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal." Brooks assured her with a smile. Sarah was caught off guard seeing Brooks smile. This was one of the only times she had witnessed it other than when he made YouTube videos. It made her warm inside & she smiled back.

Brooks took a long shower when he got home & thought about what would happen if those men came hunting for him when they wake up.

Sara made chili while Brooks was showering & by the time he got out, it was time to eat. The two ate together as usual & enjoyed each other's company.

A.N. I know it's an abrupt ending but i decided to put the other half as the next chapter instead of making this too long. Next chapter will be a confrontation with a new enemy.


	6. Chapter 6

Brooks

Chapter 6: Alien Invader

The next day Brooks awoke to an ear shattering lightning strike outside his house. "What the hell?" he jumped out of bed & got dressed to make sure nothing was struck by the lightning and still intact. Brooks walked outside to the turmoil the city was in.

A young man about Brooks age was throwing lightning bolts at civilians and buildings. He was wreaking havoc. The man wore a white suit with a belt that had a lightning symbol on it. His hair was yellow & his skin was pale.

Brooks was unsure of what he was seeing. Is he like me? I thought I was the only one from Musgrove's experiments to survive. Brooks though to himself.

About this time, the lightning wielder noticed Brooks staring up at him with a curious expression on his face.

"What are you looking at you damn buffoon?" he asked Brooks.

"Are you like me? A monster of science?" Brooks asked.

The lightning wielder looked at him confused. "I am White Lightning. Son of Grey Cloud & this planet's demise. Don't underestimate me inferior human scum."

Brooks revealed his powers to White Lightning who was caught off guard by it.

"I can wield the elements too. Maybe we are more similar than you think. Do you know how to get rid of this? Can you heal me?" Brooks asked.

"Shut up. Stop being a pussy and be grateful for your gift. Not everyone has powers & you can do so much with them. Why condemn your abilities instead of doing something useful? You're a disgrace to society and to all living things!" White Lightning threw a lightning bolt at Brooks who quickly hopped out of the way and prepared to fight.

"I don't want to fight you damn it. I just want answers!" Brooks told him. White Lightning launched at him from the air & Brooks turned to stone, punching White Lightning in the face making him fall to the ground.

White Lightning hopped back up on his feet & kicked Brooks backwards. "You fucking fuckstick piece of shit!" White lightning yelled in anger as he flung countless lightning bolts at Brooks.

It was ineffective as Brooks turned to air and the electric bolts phased right through him. Brooks used his fire powers to get on the offensive again & then turned to stone to begin pounding the alien's face in. Brooks got on top of him as he fell to the ground and continued to beat him. Blood covered his knuckles & teeth were spat out of White Lightning's mouth.

"I don't want to kill you but if you don't leave this city alone, then i won't hesitate to put you down." Brooks told him.

"You don't have the balls to kill, Pussy. You'll never be anything more than a disgraceful monster to these people. A menace to society. So go ahead & prove them right." White Lightning said with an evil smirk.

"If you insist." Brooks punched him again & White Lightning knew that this man wasn't going to stop until he was dead.

"Brother... Save me." he pleaded with his final moments before Brooks broke his neck.

Brooks stood up, covered in blood & tired. The people around that witnessed the event fell silent & unsure of how to react. Was he a hero or a murderer? About this time the FBI members arrived on the scene that Brooks had put in the hospital earlier.

Shit. This isn't going to go well. Brooks thought to himself. The 3 men came up & spoke to him.

"We witnessed the event on the news as it occurred. We got here as fast as we could. Prior to this we had seen you as nothing more than a hellion & a trouble brewer. But now that you've proved that you can effectively deal with issues average citizens & police couldn't, we believe that you've shown you can be trustworthy & protective. So, we have decided to allow you to live here normally as long as you don't bring harm to any innocent civilians & swear to keep this city safe." the leader of the three men announced to Brooks.

He was surprised by their reaction to this but he was overjoyed at the same time. He nodded in agreement.

"Well, then just remember that if you mess up, we will be back to hunt you down." he told Brooks with a smile as they all left.

Brooks hurried inside his home to take a shower & once he was out, Sarah was awaiting an explanation of what that was that unfolded outside.

"I can explain." he replied as his stomach turned at his situation.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: White Lightning's body will be taken in by Jacksonville police & shipped to a facility for tests to be done on him to find out where he came from & what he is. It wont just be there and rot. Don't worry.

Next chapter will also be a crossover. ;)


	7. Chapter 7

Brooks

Chapter 7: High Life

A few days after killing White Lightning, Brooks began needing three shots of Rex Serum a week & his supply was beginning to dwindle. Things weren't looking too good for Brooks.

"We have enough left to keep you going for at least a month or so. No need to worry just yet but i may be able to make some if i can remember the recipe if i have to." Sarah told Brooks reassuring him it'd be okay for now.

"That's good." Brooks told her as he took a deep breath. "I'm going to get some snacks at the store down the road for later. Ill be back in a little while."

"Alright. See you later." she replied.

Brooks stepped outside and took another deep breath. Am i really going to do this? He asked himself. Brooks walked down the street but instead of heading into the store he spoke of before, he cut the corner and went down an alleyway.

"So, do you have what I asked for?" Brooks asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry. Just give me the money and it's yours." the man answered.

Brooks handed the man a wad of cash & took the paper bag. Brooks checked it & shook the guy's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Red. Ill be back for more in a few days. We'll meet in the same place then."

"Please, just call me Johnny. Mr. Red is my father." he smiled as he put the money in his pocket & the two dispersed.

Brooks headed into the store and grabbed a few cheap snacks so he'd have some for when Sarah asked him about it. He stuffed the baggie into his pocket and walked back inside.

Sarah was showering when he walked in & took the time to hide the baggie & put the snacks in the cabinet. Brooks took a Diablito from the baggie & lit it up outside on top of the roof. He took a puff & began to smoke it.

He almost immediately felt the high as he laid back on the roof & looked out at the city's night lights. After a couple minutes, he began hallucinating. Aliens, talking animals, & even Morgan Freeman showed up on his roof to hang out. "Woah." he said with a smile as he enjoyed himself.

All was good until he heard the shower stop & he became paranoid. "Oh shit. They're on to us. Get out of here & save your movie career. Oh, & make a Shawshank Redemption sequel." he told Morgan Freeman. Brooks couldn't stand up. His legs stopped working so he crawled on the roof until he thought he was safe from the make-believe police that were looking for him. "I didn't do anything I swear. It was all Morgan Freeman. You have to believe me." he called out into the night.

Brooks started freaking out but he smoked the blunt so fast, he wasn't getting out of it too easily. "Hey, just enjoy the ride, man." a squirrel told him.

"Ride?" he asked as he suddenly ended up in the passenger seat if a blue sports car the squirrel was driving. Brooks smiled as he traveled down the rainbow road.

Finally, after hours of good feelings, hallucinations & paranoia, his high stopped & he was extremely hungry. By now it was nearly eight in the morning.

"Damn it. He hopped off the roof & rolled on the ground cushioning his fall & hurried inside & showered to get all the sweat off & calm down.

"Where were you last night? You never came back from the store." Sarah asked on the other side of the door.

"Oh, sorry. I ended up running into a friend & we caught up all night long. Sorry i didn't call you." he apologized as he dried off & got dressed.

"Its fine. Just make sure to tell me from now on. I was worried about you." Sarah told him.

"Yeah. I will. Don't worry." he said as he walked out & went to the kitchen to eat.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: THAT WAS LONG. NOW THAT THE REX IS BEGINNING TO LOSE EFFECT, BROOKS IS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE TO GET HIM OFF. HE'S ADDICTED TO THE FEELINGS OF DRUGS. NOT GOOD AND SHIT.


	8. Chapter 8

Brooks

Chapter 8: Visiting Blackwater

Sarah & Brooks sat in the living room conversating after finishing the new Rick & Morty season 5 finale. "Ive heard of a hero called 'Dark Ranger' who lives in Blackwater city. According to what i've been able to gather, he has vanquished a few foes himself including an alien named Grey Cloud & a few others over the past year or so. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from him." Sarah suggested. "Although it seems his sanity is slightly questionable from what I heard. Now, this part is speculation, but i believe that his true identity is Cade Williamson; the millionaire who lost his parents three years ago & inherited their fortune."

"Why don't you marry him? Jeez. You sure seem to love him." Brooks responded amazed at how much she knew about him in the past few days.

"Im just trying to help. You should consult someone with experience before becoming a hero." Sarah replied.

"Whatever." he sighed & walked outside. I don't have time to find a hero. I need to get more Diablitos from Johnny. Im starting to crash.

Brooks called Johnny & arranged another meeting like last time & thirty minutes later, Brooks had gotten his supplies in the alleyway. After smoking another Diablito, he had calmed down a little bit.

The next day, Sarah convinced Brooks to go to Blackwater for a few days & at least try to talk to this 'Dark Ranger' fellow. The two, who appeared to most as a couple, stopped by Coffee Grande & got some coffee. While they were there, a man fitted in all black walked in & sat a few seats down.

Sarah leaned over towards Brooks, who had black shades on covering his bloodshot yellowed eyes & whispered. "I think that's Cade right there in the black."

"Ill talk to him another time. He doesn't seem too in the mood right now." Brooks told her, looking at Cade with his head in his arms.

"Ill slide a micro tracker in his pocket so we know where he lives." Sarah told him.

She has those? He thought surprisingly.

As the two walked out she sneakily slid the tracker into his jacket pocket.

Later on that day sarah rented a hotel room for the next two days. She found out Cade's address in those 48 hours & Brooks headed over to his house that evening.

Brooks knocked on the door & as he stood waiting he thought about how many Diablitos he could buy if he had all of Cade's money. The door opened & Cade looked at him oddly. "Who are you?" he asked the young man.

"I'm Mathew Brooks. I've heard you're the Dark Ranger. I'd like your help, Cade." Brooks replied as he stepped inside.

"What are you talking about?" Cade asked him.

"You're Cade Williamson, the Dark Ranger who took on Grey Cloud & other foes in the past near two years. You're sanity has been debatable ever since then. Don't play dumb with me. I know you better than you might think." Brooks said.

"Don't question my sanity. I could kill you for that yknow." Cade threatened in response to the insult.

Brooks snapped his fingers & his arm lit up on fire. "I doubt that."

"Jesus, you freak. You're going to catch my house on fire." Cade told him.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Brooks asked annoyed at Cade's attitude. His arm quickly went back to normal.

"Fuck no. Im not about to help someone who randomly found my house & called me insane. Get out of here man." Cade ordered & showed him the door.

"Fine. I can do it myself. But don't expect me to help you when you're in trouble, playboy." Brooks replied & walked out back to the hotel.

In the morning Brooks & Sarah returned home to Jacksonville & Brooks began hearing a mysterious sound like air leaking. Suddenly the room was filled with smoke & Brooks couldn't see.

"Brooks, prepare to meet your end." Zero announced as her new helmet's eye lenses lit up red in the darkness.

"Son of a bitch." Brooks sighed & prepared for his rematch with the bounty hunter.

Author's NOTE: Zero has her voice modifier again & Brooks is really addicted to Diablitos. He is becoming more aggressive & antisocial & its showing in his paler skin & bloodshot eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

Brooks

Chapter 9: Rematch

"What the hell do you want from me?!" Brooks asked angrily as he prepared to fight Zero again.

"You're life." Zero answered as she pulled out two pistols, shooting at Brooks.

The hero shielded himself with his earth powers & looked around for the persistent assassin. The smoke was too thick for him to see clearly but he was able to spot her glowing red eyes. Brooks decided to jump out the window to allow the smoke to clear out & avoid any major damage to his home.

"Don't run from me." Zero ordered in her menacing voice as she quickly followed Brooks. "I've been ordered to kill you & I don't plan to let you escape." She pulled one of her two swords out of its sheath & swung at Brooks furiously. Each swing was more violent and precise than the one before. "My new swords are more durable this time. Good luck destroying them so easily."

Brooks turned to air and phased through Zero, turning around and kicking her in the back with his rock powers. She stumbled forward a little bit before regaining her posture. Zero was tired of her target's constant advantage over her. "Who hired you?" Brooks asked as he continued to fight back.

Zero blocked his punches & swept him off his feet. His back hit the pavement with a painful thud. "The Doctor." she answered. "Now die." Brooks was dazed from the hard hit to the ground he had taken. Zero flung her sword down onto Brooks head when a sudden gunshot went off. Zero's sword spiraled out of her hands and landed in the sidewalk a feet away.

"What the hell?" she questioned as she looked around for who had fired the bullet. It was Sarah. She had saved Brooks' life with a pistol. "You dumb whore!" Zero roared as she leapt for Sarah who was standing on the other side of the broken window. Brooks grabbed her by the foot and pulled her back down to the ground.

"Tell me who 'The Doctor' is!" he yelled as he held her down. Brooks was enraged & ready to kill her at this point.

"No." she responded. Zero rolled over and started to punch Brooks who blocked her attacks. Sarah fired at her again, giving Brooks an opportunity to strike her again.

"I need answers damn it. Tell me who hired you so i can kill you." Brooks demanded.

"I don't know much about him. I just know he calls himself 'Dr. Elijah Musgrove'." Zero answered seeing no other way out of her predicament. Both Sarah & Brooks were shocked. Hadn't he died when the tower exploded? "Why'd you say that name?! He asked her in a menacing tone filled with rage.

Zero laughed & kicked Brooks off of her. "You get distracted too easily. That will be your downfall. I respect you as a warrior. You certainly know how to hold your own. But... does she?!" Zero asked as she pulled one of her pistols out & shot Sarah. Sarah dropped to the floor motionless.

Brooks had had enough. He lost control of himself & the bloodlust he had been secretly holding back activated.

Brooks leapt at Zero, tackling her to the ground. Saliva dripped from his mouth as he looked down at the assassin. Zero couldn't break free from Brooks' grip. Brooks stared at her as if he wasn't sire what to do. He was still fighting his bloodlust, barely able to hold it back. Brooks cracked the screen of her helmet with his fist. He raised his fist again to deliver a finishing blow but instead punched the pavement beside her face, cracking it. "Get out of here... Before I kill you. Don't ever... let me see you again or I'll kill you." Brooks told her as he let her go. He managed to fight his bloodlust off and let Zero go. She quickly disappeared.

Brooks chose not to kill Zero because he didn't want to be like that anymore.

He took a deep breath & hurried over to Sarah. "Matthew, I'm sorry for not being with you more. I wish we could've stayed together forever." Sarah said weakly as Brooks held her in his arms.

"Don't talk like that. You're going to be fine!" he told her, fighting back the tears & holding her hand tight.

"I won't be here much longer. I'm sorry. Just know that I love you." Sarah told him as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I love you too, Sarah." he replied as he lost the battle & tears began pouring like a waterfall.

"Don't be sad. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." Sarah assured him. Brooks kissed her & she died moments later in his arms with a smile on her face.

Police sirens flared through the streets to the scene of the crime but by the time they arrived, Brooks was gone. He couldn't handle being there anymore. He couldn't explain it to them. They'd never believe him. He was a criminal from here on out.


	10. Chapter 10

Brooks

Chapter 10: T. Rex & the drug addicted criminal

-Underground drug cartel-

A week had passed since Sarah's death. Brooks hadn't been back to his house since. He was too paranoid that the police would arrest him for the wrong crimes. Instead, Brooks had relocated to the other side of town & began trafficking drugs for T. Rex. It was a simple job and paid well. Plus it kept his mind off of Sarah & gave him more drugs to feed his ever growing addiction.

"Hey, Brady.(BROOKS' FAKE ALIAS) Get your ass over here." T. Rex ordered from his seat. Brooks hurried over & greeted the drug lord. "You're really making this easier for us. Ever since you arrived, I've been able to make nearly 50% more than usual. You're going to have to share your secrets someday how you deliver so fast." He joked.

Brooks chuckled "I'm just a hard worker i guess." he said with a fake smile. He had recently learned to fake smile to seem more friendly around people.

"Well, you've been working for me for a week now & you're the best lackey I've ever had. I think it's about time to let you in on some of the more secretive things here. Follow me, Brady." he said as he stood up and motioned for Brooks to follow closely behind him.

Brooks walked beside T. Rex to the secret area where more of T. Rex's employees were trafficking more than just drugs. There were crates scattered everywhere loaded to the brim with countless types of guns and ammunition. "What's this?" he asked.

"This is the future, Brady. We not only traffic drugs, but weapons too. And so, I'm going to give you a gun to carry with you on your deliveries as a thank you for being so good at your job." he patted brooks shoulder & handed him a Cz75. Brooks shuttered at the sight but took the gun anyway. It was the same make and model that Zero had used to kill Sarah.

"Thank you, sir. Ill make sure to keep it on me."

"Good." T. Rex smiled. "As you already know, we mainly deal in shipping the synthetic Rex Serum drug. It's highly addicting but it's also extremely dangerous in high dosages."

Brooks acted as if he hadn't heard of or experienced the drug before and put the pistol away. "Where's it come from?" he asked.

"What?" T. Rex looked down at Brooks. (T. REX IS TALLER THAN BROOKS WHO IS ONLY ABOUT 5'2.)

"I mean, like how do you get the serum? If its synthetic its manmade & i don't see any stations for creating it around." Brooks explained.

"Well, my men raided some warehouse & it was loaded with the stuff. I believe it was mass produced for some type of experiments by the looks of it. But, I don't really care. It makes me money. That's all that matters." T. Rex replied.

"I see. What a lucky find that turned out to be." Brooks said with another fake smile.

-An hour later-

Brooks delivered a batch of Rex to a client in an old apartment building, sneaking a hit himself to keep in check. He regularly did this. It wasn't the best strategy, but it kept him from murdering everyone and that made it worth it to him.

He hated delivering Rex. He knew he was sending people down the path he was on now or straight to death. He only did it because he needed the money & to stay buddies with T. Rex. He didn't want to get on the wrong side of the drug lord that was paying and sheltering him.

He didn't take the gun out of the vehicle. He knew he wouldn't need it. His powers were more than enough to protect him. Brooks headed back to the cartel after finishing the transaction like usual & the process repeated daily over & over and over. But, Brooks had his own motives for what he was doing...


	11. Chapter 11

Brooks

Chapter 11: The story of T. Rex

The day was full of brightness & the city of Jacksonville was taking advantage of the peaceful weather. The parks were full of laughing children & the sound of beautiful little birds chirping in the treetops of the surrounding oak & pine trees that were scattered across the edges of the park as if they were a fence or border.

While the rest of the residents of Jacksonville took the opportunity to enjoy nature, Brooks was doing his usual: delivering drugs for his boss. He was very good at it. Some would probably even say that it's his true calling in life. To Brooks however, it was just something to get his mind off of life & to get his Rex on the side. He had increased his dosages again. Now he was taking 4 vials twice a day to keep himself steady. His tolerance was increasing fast & combined with drugs, it was starting to take a toll on his body.

Brooks had began to shrivel up like a raisin & he was barely ever eating. Drugs had consumed his life. He was trafficking drugs, taking drugs & he was allowing it to happen. He knew it was a horrible life but addiction is a horrible thing & without drugs, he wouldn't be able to control his bloodlust. It was a sacrifice he was willing to take. His body & mind in exchange for a life without being a mass murderer.

Brooks headed back to T. Rex's underground hideout after delivering the drugs to the client as usual. T. Rex praised him & then began telling the story of how all of this came to be.

-10 years ago-

"Hey, Tom! Do you have the money?" a man asked.

"No.. I'll have it soon. Just give me a little more time." Tom replied.

"I don't have the patience to wait any longer damn it. It's been two months. I want my cash!" the man roared as he kicked Tom to the ground & he & his men began beating Tom. Tom coughed as he pleaded for the men to give him mercy & another chance to get them the money they were wanting.

"Please, just give me a few more days!" he cried out in pain. The man called everyone off & allowed him another chance. Tom had a week to get the money or else they'd find & kill him.

Over the next two days, Tom panicked about how to get the money. There was no way he would be able to get it all in time.

Tom decided to start selling drugs on the streets and quickly managed to get the money & pay the man he owed. His life was saved. He decided that he'd continue to sell them for quick money.

After a while, he had gained popularity & was a big time dealer in Jacksonville. He went from a poor man to a man who ruled the city without having to do a thing in only 7 years. He had all the men who had beaten him killed & tossed into the ocean by the docks. No one ever trampled him again without mysteriously disappearing.

Tom spent the next 3 years building up his underground cartel & it was now what it is today. The biggest & most powerful drug cartel in Jacksonville. It was only a couple months ago that he had gotten the name "T. Rex" which he got from his most popular drug, Rex. Prior to that he was only known as "T".

"And now im the richest person in town." he told Brooks with a smile as he finished his tale.

"I see. That's an interesting story. It's good to know you were able to rise up from nothing like that." Brooks replied.

"It is indeed. It is indeed." T. Rex said as he looked out at his cartel that he had proudly built over the years.


	12. Chapter 12

Brooks

Chapter 12: Revealing Secrets

A month had passed since he had began trafficking drugs. He had forgotten his reason to do it in the first place by now. His head was so filled with drugs that he had blocked it all out & forgotten. Today his reasons would resurface when a situation brought back the buried memories he had pushed out.

"Brady, come here boy." T. Rex called out. Brooks stopped packing crates with drugs & hurried to his boss. "I don't know if you know how powerful i am or not, but do you take me for a fool?" he asked with a slightly angered voice. Maybe it was more of an annoyed disgruntled voice; it was hard to tell sometimes.

Brooks' heart skipped a beat. What does he mean? He thought to himself. Did he find out about me using the Rex? Or maybe that i had been lying about my name? Brooks was worried but did his best to play it off. "What do you mean, sir?" Brooks asked.

"Tell me what you're name is." T. Rex ordered.

Shit. He knows... "My name is Brady Goodman. I thought I'd already told you that before." Brooks replied, keeping the act up.

T. Rex sighed. "Yknow, I was hoping you'd tell me your name. I thought we were buddies. I'm a little heartbroken, Brooks." T. Rex grabbed his pistol off his hip & aimed it at Brooks.

Brooks was surprised that he had been found out & it caught him off guard. The rest of the drug traffickers had stopped working to witness this event. The boss killing his best worker. "I see you're questioning how I know about your true identity by the look on your frightened face. Well, let me tell you," T. Rex began, "You see, there was an assassin that came here once. That assassin, calling themselves 'Zero' proposed that if i got info on her target, that's you by the way, then once the job was done, I'd get paid a hefty sum for such a simplistic task. So of course I agreed & quickly gave the assassin your location that I had gotten from my connections. Obviously I knew what you looked like due to this. The job should've been done within a couple days but surprisingly that wasn't the case. This annoyed me but I decided to give it more time. Of course it didn't matter as you survived in the end, but now I'm going to kill you & take the entire reward for your death." he explained as he prepared to shoot Brooks. The rest of his workers had pulled out their guns as well aiming them all at Brooks. "You see, I knew from the beginning when I first let you work for me who you were. This has been my plan all along." T. Rex told him with a grin.

I've been screwed over! Damn... Now I'm going to have to defend myself & expose my abilities to these people. Brooks prepared for a battle in this underground drug trafficking facility & gunfire echoed as the countless assault rifles & pistols unloaded. Brooks quickly turned to stone & deflected the bullets.

"You're a monster!" T. Rex said with both disgust & surprise in his voice.

"Yknow, I kind of don't care anymore. I know what to do with myself now." Brooks responded as he shot ice needles into the crowd of firing maniacs by combining his water & air powers together. The front line dropped dead as the ones behind them continued to shoot. Brooks didn't want to kill anyone but he wouldn't allow himself to die either. This was kind of his plan from the beginning anyways. He wanted to take down the drug lord, just not in this way if he could help it.

Brooks was able to kill a vast majority of the men with little effort. Most of them had abandoned everything after seeing what Brooks was capable of. His fire powers had managed to graze a few crates containing drugs & Rex Serum during the fight. This made the Rex serum ignite & cause explosions as it was made unstable. The entire place was going up in flames quickly as it spread.

T. Rex got a lucky shot on Brooks & managed to lodge a bullet into the back of his leg while he was caught off guard. Brooks let out a cry of pain and kneeled down for a second before shooting the bullet back out using his ability to control air. Blood dripped from his wound but he stood up anyways & let the fire cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding & kept fighting off the remaining men.

"Brooks! It's over! You aren't getting out of here alive!" T. Rex called out as he unloaded an assault rifle at Brooks while he was fighting. Brooks turned to stone & deflected the bullets again, but now he was getting tired of being shot at.

"Stop shooting me you pieces of shit!" Brooks roared. He let out a small shockwave of flames & lit everyone around him on fire. His eyes turned yellow as he went back into bloodlust mode.

"Die you fucking monster!" T. Rex yelled.

Brooks finished off the remaining lackeys & went after T. Rex next.

"I'm tired of you being so arrogant & self entitled." Brooks told the man as he shot a small ice needle into his arm as he slowly walked up to T. Rex.

T. Rex dropped his gun and stumbled backwards a few steps before another needle sliced into his other arm followed by countless more into his knees. T. Rex dropped to his knees in pain as his shattered kneecaps were destroyed. He crawled away in fear as he tried to escape. Suddenly, another needle had shot into his spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. He rolled his body over to where he was on his back as he watched Brooks slowly heading for him. Tom was frightened & felt powerless for the first time in a decade. It was the worst feeling he had ever experienced. The pain was unbearable & he was barely conscious.

Brooks shot another needle into both of Tom's shoulders & looked down at the disappointing man left of the powerful T. Rex.

"You're pathetic. You're unable to accept death when it stares you in the face." Brooks told the paralyzed Tom with disappointment.

"Just kill me you monster." Tom replied.

Brooks conjured up an ice needle again & slowly pushed into Tom's chest, as it agonizingly pierced through his skin & into his heart.

"Goodbye you scumbag. May you rot in hell for all eternity." he whispered into Tom's ear as he slipped out of this world. Brooks soon returned to normal after massacring hundreds of men.

The facility was blazing by now. Brooks began making his way to the exit but stopped as he heard a familiar voice. He turned around to see the scientist himself, Dr. Musgrove.

"Long time no see, experiment A-117. I think you've outlived your welcome." he told his creation. "It's time for you to be put down. Its a shame really. You could've been so much more. Now you're just a stain on my record I intend to erase & replace with a much better subject down the road." Musgrove gritted his teeth at seeing his creation act so barbarically. The final battle was about to begin!

Author's note: A lot happened this chapter. Everyone is dead and now Brooks & Musgrove are going to start the final fight of this story.

The reason T. Rex was called Tom after Brooks began to take over the situation is because i decided that since he was powerless & afraid, he was no longer T. Rex. He was the frail, weak man from 10 years ago, Tom. I suppose it could be called symbolism in a way.

I really enjoyed writing this chapter so i hope it was as good to read as it was to write.


	13. Chapter 13

Brooks

Chapter 13: The conclusion

As Tom's entire life continued to burn, Brooks & Musgrove prepared for their final battle. "Brooks! Are you ready to die?"

"I'm not dying today, Musgrove. I've come to far to quit now." Brooks responded.

Musgrove snickered. "Too bad kid. This is where your story ends." The doctor suddenly injected himself with a syringe & started laughing. "I've injected myself with Venom X. Once it spreads, my muscle tissue will begin to grow until my body is maxed out. In short, Im unlocking humankind's full potential with this new & improved serum I have created."

Brooks watched unable to move as Musgrove's body transformed in front of his eyes. Musgrove yelled in pain as the transformation took place & he was quickly unrecognizable.

"You're making a mistake Musgrove! Damn it." Brooks got ready as Musgrove charged towards him. Brooks charged back & slid between Musgrove's legs. He hopped onto his back & hit Musgrove in the head as he rampaged around the burning place.

Musgrove let out a roar & grabbed Brooks' slinging him into the ground. A sharp pain echoed throughout his body as he forced himself to stand back up. He's strong. I'm already a little worn down from earlier. This may be bad. Brooks thought to himself. Musgrove picked Brooks up & started squeezing his body, crushing him.

"Ack!" Brooks let out as he turned to air & escaped. "I don't want to fight damn it!" Musgrove grabbed a chair & threw it at Brooks in response. Our hero melted the chair in half as it came towards him & knew he had no choice but to fight.

Brooks concentrated & charged for Musgrove. Before his punch connected, he quickly turned his fist to stone & connected with Musgrove's stomach. The mutated monster stumbled backwards & roared angrily. Although he had injected himself with Venom X, he was still taking damage. The serum made him unbelievably strong & unable to feel the pain but it was there.

"Musgrove! Can you hear me? Snap out of it. You've made a big mistake. Just calm down." Brooks urged to no avail. It seemed as if Musgrove's entire humanity was stripped from him when he injected the Venom X. It's useless. Looks like i'll have to kill him after all...

Brooks shot an ice needle into one of his eyes. He let out an annoyed roar & continued to fight. Musgrove kicked Brooks' wounded leg with a large snapping noise coming from his bones. Brooks grunted as he suppressed his painful screams & wrapped it in a stone cast.

Brooks managed to dodge the next punch just in time & burnt Musgrove's arm while punching his side with the other fist made of stone. He's so fast. But he's sloppy. If i can blind him maybe I can take advantage even in my current state. Brooks blasted himself backwards with a gust of wind & aimed for Musgrove's other eye. He shot another ice needle & blinded the monster. Musgrove panicked as he lost his vision violently flailing his arms in anger.

"Musgrove! Just quit. Its over now." Brooks said as he leapt for the mutated man's face. He kicked him into the ground with his feet & beat him with stone.

The facility crumbled around them as the entire place burned. Debris fell as he continued to fight Musgrove.

As Brooks fought, he noticed Musgrove was changing again. Brooks stopped to see what was happening. Suddenly, Musgrove was returning to normal. He was scarred & frail but at least now he was human again. He coughed as he regain his humanity & Brooks stood up over him not taking down his guard.

"Damn... The serum didn't last for as long as I had expected. I thought that I'd be able to finish you before it wore off..." Musgrove said weakly.

"You made a mistake taking the serum. You'll never truly be the same again." Brooks replied.

"It doesn't matter." he said as he tried to move. He froze as the pain surged within him. "I'm not going to be around for long anyways. My time is nearing its end. Your punches hit hard. My insides... are scrambled like eggs. Its over for me." he coughed again, wheezing.

"That's your own problem, Doctor." Brooks told him. Musgrove smiled.

"I know. Before i die, what happened to Sarah? I know she helped you escape." Musgrove told him.

Brooks fell silent for a moment. "She.. She died. Zero killed her. Your assassin killed her." Brooks gritted his teeth.

"What?! I didn't order her to harm Sarah. I specifically told her not to. Why would I want to kill my own granddaughter?" Musgrove asked himself as he fought back tears.

Brooks was unable to respond to that. He hadn't realized that they were related until just now. This was big news. "She died happy. At least know that much in your final moments." Brooks told him out of respect. The man had made bad decisions but he wasn't completely evil.

Musgrove smiled as tears slowly streamed down his cheeks.

"Thank you, Brooks. I know I've hurt you & ruined your life, but I can return you to normal." he reached into his pocket & pulled out a vial of Venom X. "H-Here... just take this & the Venom X will neutralize all of the Rex cells. They'll be dormant inside you. You won't have your powers anymore but at least you can have a normal life with this.

Brooks' heart skipped a beat at the words he was hearing as he grasped the vial in his hand. "That is my parting gift. I apologize for my actions before. I was wrong to assume you were the enemy. You're a good man. I know that now. I understand if you hate me for my mistakes."

"Shut up damn it." Brooks said as he cried not because Musgrove was dying, but because he had a chance to be human again. "I... I don't hate you. A few months ago I would've hated you more than my own existence. But now, I know I can make something out of misfortune. You turned me into this but at this point I've accepted my role in this world. Thank you for giving me a purpose Musgrove." Brooks looked down only to see that he had died earlier with a smile ln his face. He looked at peace. That was good.

Brooks put the Venom X in his pocket & began making his way out of the facility.

Suddenly he remembered the lion was still in the pit. Brooks sighed & quickly got the lion out escaping together. Brooks had accepted himself for who he was & was happier for it. The battle was over & he had a purpose in life once again. He was truly happy for the first time.


	14. Chapter 14

Brooks

Chapter 14: Afterwards

Passion was sent to the zoo where Brooks occasionally visited her. Brooks quit doing drugs & was hailed a hero for his deeds. He had singlehandedly taken down T. Rex's drug cartel. Brooks managed to learn to control his rage & keep himself from going into bloodlust mode. He visited Sarah's grave & placed a rose on it.

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe. Now I'm stronger. And happy too." he laughed. "I wish you were here. I know I never admitted my feelings for you. I regret that now. I can't change the past though. I have accepted my life. You'd be so proud. I have a way to be normal too. I can take it whenever i want if i want to be human again. Of course, I chose not to. I accepted my role. I'm a hero. I know you didn't want that but I can't help it. Anyway, see you later Sarah. I love you."

Brooks got a job working at a small restaurant as waiter to keep himself busy & to make sure he had money. It wasn't a cool job but at least it was his. He enjoyed cooking & being around food.

His life was finally turning over to be a very happy & enjoyable time.

But as a hero, you're job will never be done. Even in death a hero's legend lives on. That was Brooks' life & he loved every moment of it.

Author's note: Brooks accepted himself as a hero & not a monster. He didn't take the Venom X but he kept in case he changed his mind. Epilogue is up next.


	15. Epilogue

Brooks

Chapter 15: (After credits scene) The life of an assassin

My name is Ashley Young, better known as Zero. I'm 22. I am an assassin. When i was 4, my parents disappeared & i was taken in by an unknown man. He taught me how to fight & by the time i had turned 5, i was able to do one armed handstand push ups for three hours straight. When i was 7, I killed my first target by slicing his jugular vein. I was overcome with joy at my success. My mentor praised me for that. It made me happy.

I got hired by a scientist to kill someone named Mathew Brooks. After finding out where he lived, i attacked him. Unfortunately he caught me of guard & I lost for the 1st time in my life. Afterwards, I fought again with him attempting to reclaim my pride only to be beaten again. This time i was humiliated when he spared my life. He must've thought i was pathetic in that moment. That man makes me so mad. Knowing i was defeated twice by him & spared is the worst humiliation imaginable.

Brooks, you fucking bitch, don't you ever forget me. I swear on everything that the next time we meet, i will kill you. So make sure to be prepared for when i take everything you have away from you. I will return to seek my revenge. I hope you're happy so i can strip that away from you. Ill see you soon Brooks. Prepare yourself for my inevitable return & your demise by my hands to retake my pride you so easily stole from me.


End file.
